


reprise

by everyones_gay_noone_dies



Category: Rise (TV 2018)
Genre: Gen, M/M, basically just my version of 1x10, canon compliant through 1x09, siremy fluff and then the troupe being awesome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-18
Updated: 2018-05-18
Packaged: 2019-05-08 17:53:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14699307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/everyones_gay_noone_dies/pseuds/everyones_gay_noone_dies
Summary: I posted this on Tumblr and people liked it? I wrote it before the finale, so it's just like,, my own very short version of opening night.Simon and Jeremy talk. The troupe takes a stand.





	reprise

Simon arrived at school a few minutes before homeroom. He spotted Jeremy across the courtyard. He gave Lilette a quick goodbye and beelined towards his on- (and potentially off-?) screen love interest. 

He nervously gripped his backpack straps. “Hey, Jeremy! Can we talk?” he asked. “Somewhere… private?” 

Jeremy’s eyes glanced around, avoiding Simon’s gaze. He was nervous, too. “Of course.” 

They went to the prop room. No one would be there this early in the day. 

Jeremy fidgeted impatiently. “What’s up?” 

Simon looked down. “I lied a little bit, yesterday. My family… it’s not just that they’re Catholic. I mean, I’m starting to wonder how much of it is actual Catholicism and how much is just this ridiculous facade and… My family is a shitshow. I mean, there was just all of this stuff buried under the surface, and now… I don’t know what’s happening or what’s going to happen. I’m just… I’m just here, having your classic Catholic teen’s sexuality crisis, but my parents… they’ve got all of this stuff going on, too. And I’m confused. And I’m scared. And I was up all night thinking, and… You deserve way better than me, Jeremy. You deserve someone who knows who he is. Who won’t run and hide when he’s scared. I’m not that guy. And I think it might be a while until I’m comfortable with all of this.” 

Jeremy contemplated for a second. For a moment, it looked like he was reaching for Simon’s cheek, but then he settled for taking his hand. “Christ, Simon. It’s like you’re forgetting I’m gay, too. I get it. I’ve been there. I’m here for you, whatever you need. Everyone works through things differently. It’s okay.” 

Simon pulled his hand away, avoiding Jeremy’s eyes. “I didn’t finish. I know you deserve someone way better than me, but I was up all night just thinking… about how much I wanted to kiss you.” 

“Well, we’ve all been there, Moritz,” Jeremy teased. 

Simon looked at him, and he was grinning. Simon glared at the joke, but, God, those eyes Jeremy was giving him… That smile… He reached up and cupped the back of Jeremy’s neck and pulled him into a kiss. He didn’t know how long they had lost themselves in each other’s lips, but they were abruptly interrupted. “Oh! Oh, sorry, I-” 

Simon turned to see who had come in. His eyes widened when he saw Annabelle. “Oh my god,” she said when she realized it was him, but her look of surprise faded quickly. “Yeah, that makes more sense,” she said under her breath. “I’m sorry, I’m gonna-” she pointed behind her and retreated. 

Simon didn’t move for a moment, frozen in shock. “I- I should probably go talk to her.” 

“I understand.” They were still in each other’s arms. Neither wanted to let go. “You know, on my way here, I thought perhaps we'd only... talk.” Simon rolled his eyes. If, for some reason, this entire relationship consisted only of Spring Awakening references, he would be entirely okay with it.

“So are you sorry we…” It felt odd for Simon to shift into his out-and-proud on-stage persona. But to see Jeremy smile like that… yeah, it was worth it. 

Jeremy flicked his hair back and spoke in the soft accent he used for Ernst. “No I- I love you Hanschen. As I have never loved anyone.” 

Simon grinned cockily. “And so you should.”  

They fell into another kiss, but Simon pulled away. “I think we should do our scene how it was written. If you’re okay with it.” 

“I- yeah, but Ward said-” 

“Screw what Ward said,” Simon said, stepping back and crossing his arms. “The whole point of that play was to show how shielding kids from things that are controversial is damaging. Censoring this stuff… it just defeats what Wedekind was trying to say. So I think we should perform the original script. All of us. I think we need to make a statement.” 

Jeremy was smiling with a certain giddiness that made Simon’s insides melt. He reached in and gave Simon a gentle kiss. “Okay, what did you have in mind?” 

* * *

 

As the opening curtain neared by mere minutes, the anxiety between the cast and crew was permeable. Tonight would either go incredibly or horribly. No in between. 

Lilette took her place on the stage. The lights adjusted and the music started. 

_ "Mama who bore me _ __  
_ Mama who gave me  _ _  
_ __ No way to-" her voice broke off. 

She gave a nervous laugh. "I'm sorry, everyone. It's just... something's not right." 

The lights went up and she walked to the top of the stage, and the entirety of the cast and crew gathered behind her, minus Maashous and a few other assorted crew members. "We can't do this show the way you want us to. Or, the way the PTA wants us to. We refuse. And we want to be clear that our directors, Mr. Mazzu and Ms. Wolfe were in no way involved with this decision. We came to this by ourselves. Tonight, we will perform the original version of Spring Awakening. You can leave, or you can stop us, but we refuse to perform a show that so blatantly disregards the playwright's message." 

Robbie stepped forward. "We get it. This show is wild. It has all this crazy stuff that makes people uncomfortable, but that's what the dude who wrote it wanted. The show ends with Moritz and Wendla  _ dead  _ because the adults in their lives who were supposed to teach them and protect them only wanted to shield them from the realities that they were all facing. These things you want us to cut… they’re realities that  _ we _ face.” 

Simon piped up. "Boys kiss boys." 

Sasha jumped in. “Teenagers get pregnant.” 

“Kids get abused," someone shouted from the back. Maashous. 

"We fucking curse," someone else chimed in. 

"People have sexual fantasies.”

"People  have  _sex_.”

"Teens masturbate." 

"Some people have sadistic thoughts.” 

Robbie started talking again. “The whole point of this show is that people got hurt because no one would talk to them about these things. So if you really read this and thought that censoring was the best way to go, then, shit, man, I think you need to read it again.” Supportive hoots and claps cheered from across the cast, crew, and audience. 

Lilette cleared her throat. "We refuse to censor what makes the show so real, what gives the show its purpose. Thank you. And now, we give you Spring Awakening." 

The cast and crew dispersed back behind the curtains, and Lilette took her proper place on the stage as the lights readjusted. She reached down and pulled at the hem. It gave away easily, ripping off a bottom strip of the dress. Earlier, one of the other girls helped her hem the dress back to the original length. They’d added an extra bit of fabric that was held loosely by just a few stitches for her to remove on stage. 

She made a point of dropping the strip of white fabric on the ground, and took a deep breath. She was waiting for the lights to go back up, or off completely, or for someone to run up on stage and tell them to stop. But the music started. It was showtime. 

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, so I already put this on Tumblr but I wanted to put it here. I'm working on another fic that's like post-finale, so... maybe I'll post that soon. I'm so sad this show got cancelled. I really hope it gets picked back up. 
> 
> Find me on tumblr: bigertyorkes


End file.
